During the first week of August St Paul’s Church was the venue for a wonderful
Flower Festival with a musical theme. The different Churches in Alnwick were
represented, along with some other organisations and individuals wishing to
remember a special occasion. Some of you will have visited and appreciated the
skills involved by the various arrangers.
St James’s arrangement was based on the hymn ‘For the Beauty of the Earth’.
Each vase focused on a different verse. Winnie’s was the first verse and Marillyn’s
the verse remembering our families: ‘brother sister, parent, child….’ The other
verses were all created by our new team of young people who were all brilliant.
Their arrangements involved sunflowers and white Japanese anemones for ‘sun and
moon and stars of light; another with textures and scented flowers for the verse on
our senses; and finally ‘flowers on earth and buds of heaven’.
Our younger team members were much appreciated by the organisers and other
arrangers for their skills, interest in other arrangements and helpfulness.
The Paris Olympics
The second week of the Olympics coincided with the Flower Festival, and I felt we
needed to include this. The flower arrangement was made up of the 6 Olympic
colours:
blue, black, red, yellow, green and white, chosen because at least one of each of
these colours is on every nations’ flag. The interlocking circles on the white
background encourage us to realise that only by working together and accepting
each other can there be the Olympic theme of ‘Together as One’.
In his letter to the Hebrews, the Jewish community in Rome, Paul writes, “Therefore,
having so vast a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, and throwing off everything that
hinders us, let us keep running with endurance the race set before us.”
2024 marks the centenary of the Paris 1924 Olympics when Eric Liddell won a gold
medal in the 400 metres. He had not planned on running this race, 100metres being
his favourite distance, but as the heats were on a Sunday he would not run. Eric
was a contemporary of Beth Hood whom some will remember. Both were born at
the beginning of the 20 th century to Scottish missionary parents working in China.
After World War I, Eric trained as doctor and returned to China. During World War II,
along with others Eric was interned in a Japanese camp where he died. Throughout
his time there he continued to inspire, support and encourage his fellow prisoners –
both adults and young people. His life reflects St Paul’s teaching and also that of
Timothy: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
A truly remarkable man.
Putting together the Olympic arrangement gave me a new insight into the Olympics.
Madeline
